


Vatharna

by hamykia



Category: Nightrunner Series - Lynn Flewelling
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-23
Updated: 2016-03-23
Packaged: 2018-05-28 12:12:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6328639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamykia/pseuds/hamykia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What can I say? When you're in love with a series and keep wondering what transpired between books 2 and 3, this kind of thing may happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Vatharna

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [Susurros de invierno](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4448624) by [hamykia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamykia/pseuds/hamykia). 



Corpses covered the shore, and sea water was red with blood. They had meant to wait until the ceremony was over to destroy the Helm that now lay partially submerged inside the uneven basin. Seregil had forsaken the plan just before that unexpected last sacrifice, taking advantage of Vargûl Ashnazai’s arrogance and searing hatred, and severing both arms and his head with two mighty slashes before the black blade of Ashnazai’s axlike weapon struck Alec.

  
 Alec stared at Seregil with panicked eyes, as if he had seen a ghost and not his savior, his bare body sprayed with Vargûl Ashnazai’s blood. The red stream flowed into the pool of blood from the rest of the sacrifices, and Seregil’s eyes followed it to the basin. Noticing the light and understanding its significance, Mardus had entered the water to recover the Helm after thanking Seregil for the powerful sacrifice he had unintentionally offered to the Beautiful One.

  
“Although I should have killed that whelp of yours when I had the chance,” Mardus snarled.

  
“Yes, you should have,” Seregil retorted through gritted teeth, sizing up his opponent.

  
Mardus was not a brawny opponent, but he did have the protection of both his cuirass and the distance separating him from Seregil, as he moved forward towards the Helm.

  
“You missed Nysander, too, you know,” Seregil added, hoping he could distract Mardus. “He’s alive and the Four remains unbroken.”

  
“Yet you failed all the same,” Mardus gloated, gripping the Helm by one of the twisted black horns and raising it over his head. “I am the Vatharna, the Chosen of Seriamaius. Do you think you can stand against me now?”

  
Seregil tried to run, but he was moving too slow. It was too late. The Helm descended, and the Vatharna  looked at Seregil. The blazing blue eyes beneath the spiked brim of the Helm didn’t belong to Mardus, but to Nysander. Seregil stopped dead in his tracks when he recognized the face of his oldest friend and wisest teacher. His second father. As much as he couldn’t move, he wasn’t able to look away either.

  
“Nysander, why?”

  
Nysander’s eyes were full of determination as he advanced toward Seregil.

  
“Nysander, I can’t!” he pleaded.

  
“You must.” Nysander’s voice was thin and strained. “I have accepted this burden freely. You already know the prophecy and you must strike now, dear boy. There is no other way, and never has been.”

  
“I can’t and I won’t!” Seregil’s body felt weightless, but he didn’t move.

  
“There is no time left,” Nysander warned.

  
“There must be another way!”

  
Nysander’s eyes gleamed with an unnatural glow, but Seregil saw sadness and disappointment in them. Nysander had never looked at him this way, not even when he had given up on him as an apprentice, and Seregil felt his stomach turning into lead. Still, he remained unmoving.

  
“Please don’t make me resort to drastic measures.”

  
Seregil was left speechless and incapable of guessing what Nysander meant. There was nothing he could do, for Seregil would rather die than kill Nysander.

  
“I know, my dearest child,” Nysander said answering his thoughts. “And I’m sorry for doing this to you.”

  
Nysander raised his hands. Bolts of light emerged from his fingers and formed a floating sphere in front of him. Seregil didn’t move when the sphere was fired, thinking he would rather die at Nysander’s hands than kill his old friend. But the sphere didn’t collide with him, the aim was a bit off and it didn’t even touch him. He looked at Nysander, giving the hint of a relieved smile that died in his lips when he heard the scream at his back. He had forgotten Alec was still tied to the sacrificial altar.

  
”Alec!”

  
Seregil turned around to see with his own eyes what he couldn’t quite believe. Alec squirmed and groaned in pain. Seregil was astounded; he couldn’t do anything but stare at Alec as a second bolt of lightning struck and left Alec’s body laying motionless.

  
“Is he dead?!” Seregil asked facing Nysander.

  
He was furious.

  
“No, but he will be if the third bolt strikes him,” Nysander replied calmly, fingertips sparkling with electricity.

  
“Why him?” Seregil inquired, although he already knew the answer. “He’s done nothing wrong!”

  
“You must save him. From me.”

  
Nysander was forming a new sphere of lightning in front of him. The Helm looked different then, and the eyes… The eyes didn’t belong to Nysander anymore. Seregil could hardly recognize the wizard he loved so dearly.

  
“You must save them all.”

  
Tears blurred Seregil’s vision as he charged, but they didn’t prevent him from rising his sword with both hands, or from slicing through the Helm and Nysander’s head, destroying both in one fell swoop.

  
The sphere of light started to flicker, but once free from Nysander’s will, it resumed its way toward Alec, who was still unconscious and tied to the altar.

  
“Alec! No!”

  
Seregil ran, but he didn’t get far when the lightning struck Alec.

  
“No…”

  
Seregil collapsed between Alec’s lifeless body and Nysander’s shattered corpse. Unable to breathe, Seregil didn’t notice when he hurt his knees against the rock. He felt like he was drowning, and then the ground opened, and a sea dark with blood engulfed him.

 

 

  
  
“Seregil… Talí, wake up…”

  
Seregil didn’t want to wake up. Why would he? Now that Alec and Nysander lay dead because of him, he would rather keep drowning in the bottom of the sea.

  
“Seregil!”

  
A couple of hands shook him, and Seregil realized he was drenched in sweat and not sea water.

  
“Seregil, it’s me, please wake up.”

  
_Alec?_

  
Seregil opened his eyes at last. He could feel rough bed sheets and a hard mattress below him, but he was still confused. The dream had been too vivid.

  
It was dark inside the cabin, but the light of a candle helped him discern Alec’s face. Alec was alive and whole. That sight soothed Seregil at last, if nothing else.

  
“Are you here with me now?”

  
Alec smiled, although his dark blue eyes reflected his own fear. Nevertheless, he tried to calm Seregil down by breathing together with him, slow and evenly.

  
It had been a while since Seregil had suffered his last panic attack, but their reactions were still instinctive after this ritual had become the routine during their first months together.

  
“I didn’t remember… it being so painful.” Seregil was still panting between sobs.

  
“Don’t talk,” Alec whispered as he embraced Seregil. “Your voice sounds too hoarse.”

  
Seregil leaned on Alec and let him untangle his hair. Alec’s fingers were comforting, and he kept caressing Seregil until both of them lost track of time.

 

**Author's Note:**

> There's another chapter in Spanish, but let's see if you like this one first.  
> And yeah, Spanish was the original language and my mother tongue, so I'd like to thank levisfreckledrinharu for beta-reading!  
> You may have noticed some parts are similar to the original scene in the second book, because that's how dreams work. I hope that was clear ^^U  
> Anyway, I'm open to any comments and suggestions, so go ahead! :)


End file.
